This week’s issue features former Chicago Broadcast journalist Peter Nolan and how he describes Chicago’s ethnic breakdown before Mayor Harold Washington and outlines reasons for Washington’s success in an interview based on his book.

The recession has given Americans a new reality about the risks of owning a home, so that more of them support renting as part of national housing policy, according to a survey released April 2 by the MacArthur Foundation.

Last Friday, March 7, was the 49th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On that day in 1965 Joh...

Last Friday, March 7, was the 49th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On that day in 1965 John Lewis, then the SNCC President, and other civil rights leaders attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the suppression of African American voters in the South. They never made it past the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, because George Wallace’s troops were waiting on the other side with dogs and billy clubs. Congressman John Lewis still bears the scars from the brutal beating he received that day.
Last Sunday, March 9, civil rights leaders, including Chicago’s own Reverend Jesse Jackson, and political leaders from both parties marched in Selma to commemorate that brutal day in 1965.

Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) February 09, 2014 Chicago civil rights attorney Basileios J. Foutris got tired of getting phone calls from potential clients who captured footage of police misconduct only to have their cell phones taken by the cops. Even if the phones were returned, the footage was always erased. After he got three calls like this in the same day, he decided to do something about it. He developed an app that sends footage directly to Dropbox (without pushing buttons, etc.) for rapid permanent preservation.

On Friday, January 24th, the Chicago Lawyers' Committee welcomed members of RainbowPush's ...

On Friday, January 24th, the Chicago Lawyers' Committee welcomed members of RainbowPush's Legal Commission for an open discussion on prison overcrowding, disparity in bond awards, Cook County Jail legal issues.

At the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, we have been watching the Ch...

At the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, we have been watching the Chicago Public School closings and their effects on students and communities very closely. So I read with keen interest the cover story in this morning's Chicago Sun-Times, about a murder by gunshot at 63rd and King Drive at the edge of a receiving school. I had already planned to ride my bike into downtown from the South Suburbs, a habit I try to keep once a week during the 8 or 9 warmer months. Now I resolved that I would ride down King Drive past Parkway Gardens where the shooting occurred. King Drive being my favorite route downtown, I had just been asked if it was safe by another South Suburbanit

By Marissa Liebling and Ruth Greenwood
Under David Orr's leadership, Cook County has s...

By Marissa Liebling and Ruth Greenwood
Under David Orr's leadership, Cook County has supported and implemented many strong policies to increase voter accessibility and participation. This week, he expanded this push by encouraging election administrators and legislators across the country to make voting rights “more than a ‘dream.’” His op-ed explains that we must both “make it easier for citizens to register, vote and run for office,” and stop the “virtual war on low-income, black and Hispanic voters.”
Orr provides a list of what would be included in an “ideal voting process:”
weekend or holiday voting;
election day registration;
accessible polling places in schools and pu

The Pennsylvania state legislature passed a law in early 2012 requiring all voters to pres...

The Pennsylvania state legislature passed a law in early 2012 requiring all voters to present a photo ID at the polls. Viviette Applewhite, a 92-year-old woman who has voted in nearly every election since 1960, challenged the law in state court as unconstitutional; she is joined in bringing the case by the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and the Homeless Advocacy Project. The case, known as Applewhite v. Commonwealth, resulted in a preliminary injunction in September 2012 that lasted through the presidential election and the May 2013 primaries. Now, the trial court is hearing the issue again to consider a permanent injunction against the law. Lawyers for both sides are expected to make cl

A very interesting piece that discusses the role of geography in income mobility: "On average, fairly poor children in Seattle — those who grew up in the 25th percentile of the national income distribution — do as well financially when they grow up as middle-class children — those who grew up at the 50th percentile — from Atlanta."

It’s no secret that Illinois has a reputation for political corruption and machine polit...

It’s no secret that Illinois has a reputation for political corruption and machine politics. But it’s not just through corruption and bribery that our elected representatives let us down. When elected officials put their interests, or those of lobbyists, donors, or friends above those of their constituents, we all lose. Take last month as an example, where we saw a noticeable misalignment between voters and their elected officials: the Illinois House failed to vote on the marriage equality bill, despite it having the support of the Governor, Senate, and over 50% of the population.
There are many reasons why voters’ needs and legislative outcomes are not aligned, such as the existence of

This article examines the efforts of thousands of Chicago cab drivers to be recognized as employees of the city rather independent contractors, meaning they would be entitled to a minimum wage. If the city loses the lawsuit being brought against it by Cabbies For Justice, the work conditions of approximately 12,000 cab drivers could be fundamentally altered for the better.

I am so sick of entitled white students from the suburbs that blame affirmative action for...

I am so sick of entitled white students from the suburbs that blame affirmative action for their lack of success in college of admissions. College admission, especially for very selective schools, is the epitome of an arbitrary process. Either you stand out, or not. Quite simple. While race does play a role in the admission, it’s typically very minor. Nowhere is this most evident than at my school, the University of Chicago. In 2011, black students only represented 5 % of the undergraduate student body. White students, however, represented almost half of the school, and still do. But if you ask Abigail Fisher, and other girls like her, all those minorities at these universities are the root

One of the authors of a recent Heritage Foundation report opposing immigration reform turn...

One of the authors of a recent Heritage Foundation report opposing immigration reform turns out to have written a 2009 Harvard Ph.D. thesis entitled “IQ and Immigration Policy.” In that thesis, Jason Richwine argued that Hispanic immigrants and their children and grandchildren have lower average IQ scores than native-born whites. Immigration by Hispanics who have relatively low IQ’s will harm the United States, he argues. Mr. Richwine proposes that potential immigrants should be given IQ tests and allowed to immigrate only if they have relatively high IQ scores.
Mr. Richwine’s idea that Hispanics receive lower IQ test scores than native whites because of an immutable difference in intel

Lolly Bowean's article highlights the complicated dynamic created when "youth see the police as either being absent or...sweeping in with military like force." Heavy police presence in schools, coupled with mandatory police notification for many in-school offenses, plays a key role in the School-to-Prison Pipeline. In 2010, there were 27,500 juvenile arrests, mostly for non-violent offenses.

"We oppose these school closings, because they have a racially-disparate impact, and because there have been no plans made that will take care of students with special education needs.” -Chicago Lawyers' Committee's Co-Director of Litigation Paul Strauss on the CPS school closings

Hundreds of education activists took to the city's West Side streets Saturday as part of a...

Hundreds of education activists took to the city's West Side streets Saturday as part of a three-day march in opposition of Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) plan to close 54 schools, among other school actions, in June.The West Side march kicked off Saturday morning at Jean D. Lafayette Elementary School in Humboldt Park.

Posted by of on May 21, 2013 Our City is in a crisis about the planned closing of neighbor...

Posted by of on May 21, 2013 Our City is in a crisis about the planned closing of neighborhood-based public schools. Specifically, as many as 54 Chicago Public Schools will be closed and 61 building structures emptied in addition to school “turnarounds” and consolidations which will dramatically alter the school environment for vulnerable elementary students. More than 47,500 elementary students will be affected including more than 3,906 students experiencing homelessness and 2400 students requiring special education services. No such massive school closure has been attempted in the history of our City or our nation. This alone must give all reasonable people pause. Click to read the full letter. 100 NORTH LASALLE STREET SUITE 600, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602-2403 (312) 630-9744 (Voice) (312) 630-1127 (Fax) Copyright ? 1997 - 2011 Chicago Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. Interested i...

The Heritage Foundation recently released a report opposing immigration reform, arguing that the cost of government benefits that will be paid to immigrants and their children will be much higher than the taxes they will pay. The report does not focus only on immigrants, however. It argues that government benefit programs are too large generally and that too many Americans are net takers, receiving more in government benefits than they pay in taxes. The authors imply that the only means of cutting the budget deficit is to cut benefit programs.
For analysis and policy, the Heritage report is remarkable for its failure to consider four major points of interest. First, the report says not

On May 6, 2013, the Heritage Foundation released a report intended to weaken support for a...

On May 6, 2013, the Heritage Foundation released a report intended to weaken support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, entitled, “The Fiscal Cost of Unlawful Immigrants and Amnesty to the U.S. Taxpayer.” The report attempts to project the amount of taxes that will be paid by immigrants, if a pending immigration reform bill is passed, and the dollar value of government benefits that immigrants will receive. The report projects that the cost of benefits that will be paid to immigrants and their children will be much greater than the taxes they will pay.
I don’t want to go over the reasoning in the Heritage Foundation’s calculations. That’s already been done by others. (See, f

Windy City Times News - Security guard allegedly commits gay hate crime CHICAGO — Attorney Yao Dinizulu of the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. filed a hate crime complaint on May 1 on behalf of plaintiff Falon Carter, 30, who alleges that an apartment security guard beat her with a steel flashlight and used derogatory terms to her relating to her sexual orientation.

When he was six, our biracial, African-American son told my wife and me that he was only p...

When he was six, our biracial, African-American son told my wife and me that he was only playing baseball if Daddy coached. I had never been a baseball guy (thought the game was slow and boring!), but I eagerly accepted the charge. Four years later, with a couple of championships and a couple of losing seasons under our belt, I can say that I’ve fallen in love with the game and some of the happiest moments of my life have been on the baseball field, coaching several teams through springs, summers and falls. The multiracial teams we fielded in our magical little integrated part of Chicago’s South Suburbs owe a direct line of thanks to Jackie Robinson.
So of course my family headed to s

By Ruth Greenwood and Marissa Liebling
When signing the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into l...

By Ruth Greenwood and Marissa Liebling
When signing the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law in 1965, President Johnson said: "Until every qualified person regardless of . . . the color of his skin has the right, unquestioned and unrestrained, to go in and cast his ballot in every precinct in this great land of ours, I am not going to be satisfied." The Supreme Court case of Shelby County v Holder reminds us that we are still waiting for that satisfaction.
In deciding Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court is considering whether Section 5 of the VRA is constitutional. A key question that during oral arguments was vocalized by Chief Justice John Roberts: “[I]s it the government’s submissi

In a number of key swing states, state legislators have either spoken in favor of, or intr...

In a number of key swing states, state legislators have either spoken in favor of, or introduced legislation, that would switch their respective states to a system in which Electoral College votes were allocated depending on the outcome of the popular vote of the state’s individual congressional districts. The proposals would switch the states’ allocation method to a congressional district based method as opposed to the current winner-take-all system based upon the state’s total popular vote. The well-documented political nature of the redistricting efforts by both Republican and Democrats underscores the importance of moving away from political ploys when it comes to Electoral College refor

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Two brothers were charged with a hate crime after atta...

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Two brothers were charged with a hate crime after attacking a cabdriver and chasing him down a Lincoln Park street while calling him a stupid f-----g Asian, authorities said.?

JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) - A congressman and a national civil rights group asked the...

JACKSON, Mississippi (Reuters) - A congressman and a national civil rights group asked the federal government on Tuesday to investigate the killing of a gay, black Mississippi mayoral candidate. The...

Orland Park firefighter Simone-Lorenz alleges she was unfairly singled out by her superiors on training drills, and that her superiors shunned and ostracized her while encouraging others to do the same.

Timuel Black was born in 1918, the year the First World War ended. He was 10 when the Grea...

Timuel Black was born in 1918, the year the First World War ended. He was 10 when the Great Depression hit. He was 14 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated, 20 when the Second World War started, 24 when he went to war, 26 when the war ended, and 36 when Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi.
He was 44 when he organized a trainload of Chicagoans to join thousands of other Americans on the Mall in Washington, D.C., to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to deliver a rousing, history-making speech.

Twenty-six Senate Democrats sent a signed letter last week asking Attorney General Eric Ho...

Twenty-six Senate Democrats sent a signed letter last week asking Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller to collect data on hate crimes against Sikhs.
“In the last 12 years, if anyone wanted to see what happened in terms of hate crimes, look at official statistics from the FBI, they would not even be able to guess that Sikhs have been targeted,” said Rajdeep Singh, director of policy and law for the Sikh Coalition. “We do not exist in the data.
“This is not an administrative nuance,” he added. “We’re not trying to get a check box. It is a declaration that Sikhs exist and are facing serious challenges.”

As Chicago’s top cop promises to keep children sent to new schools safe, a Bronzeville c...

As Chicago’s top cop promises to keep children sent to new schools safe, a Bronzeville community group on Thursday called school closings not only dangerous but a violation of children’s civil rights. Members of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and of local school councils said that last year’s displacement of Price Elementary School students has resulted in numerous problems, including attacks on former Price kids around their new school. The parents want a neighborhood school and are calling for a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and with CPS chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett.

Wrongful convictions are a serious problem that often affect low-income, minority residents of Cook County and Illinois. Cook County needs to take measures to rid the system of wrongful convictions and provide everyone with equal access to justice.

Illinois, and most notably Cook County, easily leads the nation in the number of people wh...

Illinois, and most notably Cook County, easily leads the nation in the number of people who have been wrongly convicted of a violent crime. Chicago News, Sports, Weather, Traffic, and the Best of Chicago - CBS 2 TV | WBBM Newsradio 780 | 670 The Score

Is poverty destiny in our education system? Must we pit the goal of achieving racial and ethnic diversity in our schools against the goal of achieving socioeconomic diversity or can we make the pie bigger for everyone?